


perfect places

by s_coups



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Multidimensional Space Jumper Minghao, Multiverse, Parallel Universes, Time Loop, wow that's a mouthful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-02-28 14:56:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13273857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/s_coups/pseuds/s_coups
Summary: seokmin had jokingly described it as the universe trying to keep them apart.





	perfect places

**Author's Note:**

  * For [criesmom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/criesmom/gifts).



> hope this lives up to your standards @criesmom sob sob. your prompt was pretty vague and open so i just took the reigns and hoped for the best aslldfknjg. also! a playlist for this fic can be [found on spotify here](https://open.spotify.com/user/efirny/playlist/6lTYsMJrYERg4qGilctKoR?si=2yXbGIdqQlGv9p08EKWicw). title from the song of the same name by lorde~

Seokmin’s only indication that Minghao is there is the soft, chilly breeze that suddenly graces him. The bed creaks as though someone were laying down on it beside him, but he can’t feel the dip in the comforter, or the warmth against his back from Minghao’s body heat.

Seokmin’s breath catches in his throat, heart skipping a beat. He rolls over, blinking sleep out of his eyes, still bordering on the edge of unconsciousness. Sure enough, Minghao lays just a few inches from him. His hand hovers just a few centimeters from Seokmin’s forehead, like he’s going to brush the bangs out of Seokmin’s eyes. Seokmin wishes so desperately he could.

Minghao swallows and puts his hand down, tucking it beneath his face. The outline of his body quivers every few seconds, fuzzy like the grainy footage of a disconnected television channel. When he shifts a little bit further from Seokmin, it solidifies, the fuzziness disappearing so that he can take on a more concrete form.

“Hi,” Seokmin whispers, voice rough from sleep. 

Minghao cracks a smile, winking at him. “Hi, handsome.”

“I missed you,” Seokmin says. He stretches his arms above his head, not missing the way Minghao’s eyes travel along his chest and stomach hungrily as he does so.

“I missed you, too” Minghao replies. “I had to go to this place, Thoevia, to negotiate peace with the dictator. Let me tell you,” Minghao rubs his face with his hand, forehead creasing as he frowns. Seokmin’s fingers twitch to reach out and smooth the lines down, but he doesn’t move. “He really did not like me.”

“Who wouldn’t like you?” Seokmin teases. Minghao gives him a pointed look, and Seokmin giggles.

They fall into silence. Outside, a lone car speeds by, its engine rumbling loudly and filling the room for a split second before fading slowly. Seokmin hears more than feels Minghao’s feet shift closer to his own, and Minghao’s outline becomes grainy again.

“I got a promotion at work,” Seokmin says.

Minghao raises a brow. “What? That’s awesome. Why didn’t you say that first?” 

Seokmin shrugs. He’s starting to feel sleepy again, but he refuses to waste even a second of this precious time with the other. “It’s not as interesting as orchestrating peace between dictatorships in a parallel universe.”

“It’s not as great as you make it sound,” Minghao laughs, shifting. As he does, he winces, and Seokmin frowns.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. This guy scraped me with his knife when I passed through his portal by accident.”

Seokmin tries not to let himself look worried. He scoots a little bit closer, ignoring the way Minghao starts to flicker like a bad film projection. “Show me.”

Minghao gives him an uneasy look but complies, lifting his shirt. There’s a long cut diagonally along his ribs, too deep to be just a “scrape”. A ball in Seokmin’s throat makes it hard for him to swallow, eyes stinging.

“It’s okay,” Minghao whispers, mouth twisted into a forced smile. “I’m okay. It was an accident, I promise.”

Seokmin’s vision blurs a little from tears, and he reaches out with trembling fingers. The closer he gets, the more Minghao flickers, white noise like radio static hissing around them, getting louder the closer Seokmin’s hand gets to Minghao’s chest. 

“Stop,” Minghao mumbles. “Don’t, I want to stay a little longer.”

Seokmin can’t help the crying. It happens every time. He nods, bottom lip wobbling, and pulls his hand back to wipe at his own cheeks.

“Sorry,” He manages to get out, voice weak. “You need to clean that up.”

Minghao gives him a look that’s so sad, it makes Seokmin’s chest clench up around his heart. “I will. I wanted to see you first.”

Seokmin wiggles a little bit back on the bed, so that Minghao’s form can solidify once again. He yawns before he can stop himself, and Minghao’s expression changes to one of fondness.

“You should go back to sleep,” He says. “I can come back tomorrow, I don’t have an assignment for the next few days.”

Tomorrow was actually two and a half days for Seokmin, because time ran differently in Minghao’s universe. But it was much shorter than most of the time between their meetings - usually Minghao was gone for weeks on end, showing up at the most inopportune moments for only a few minutes to an hour.

“I’m not tired,” Seokmin tries to argue weakly, but his eyelids are betraying him and slipping closed. Minghao laughs quietly, and the radio static noise sounds when he reaches out and holds his hand just above Seokmin’s cheek.

“I love you,” Is what Seokmin hears over the static just before he falls asleep again, and he thinks he mumbles back, “I love you, too,” but he can’t be sure.

 

The thing is, Seokmin didn’t mean for this all to happen. He’s sure Minghao didn’t, either. 

It had been entirely by accident that Minghao had opened a portal in the middle of Seokmin’s kitchen and appeared as if by magic out of thin air while Seokmin was making dinner one night. Seokmin had been so shocked he just stood there dumbly, holding a spatula while his food burned on the stove. Minghao had looked just as confused, staring back at him in his standard issue all black uniform.

Minghao had reached out for Seokmin’s hand; the second he touched Seokmin, he began to fade like a mist, his entire body turning to vapor and disappearing in a whirlwind of static noise, leaving Seokmin with nothing but the ghost of a warm touch on the back of his hand.

Minghao had returned a few days later, this time when Seokmin was brushing his teeth in the morning. Having convinced himself their last encounter was just a dream, Seokmin actually screamed this time, and it took Minghao a good thirty minutes to calm the other boy down and convince him he wasn’t a hallucination or ghost and was in fact from a different universe.

Seokmin still laughs when he thinks about how crazy it sounds.  _ My boyfriend is a multidimensional space jumper,  _ isn’t exactly something he can tell his parents when they ask how his love life is going.

Although, even then, he isn’t sure if he can refer to Minghao as his boyfriend. They’re in love, and they try to see each other as often as possible, and they’re most definitely exclusive (unless Minghao was dating someone else in another universe, which is always a possibility), but there’s a catch. They can’t touch each other.

It makes Seokmin’s mouth twist sourly when he sees couples even just holding hands in public. Every time he even gets too close to Minghao, the other begins to fade. On the off occasion Seokmin has touched him- the first time, by accident, the next three with a desperate hope that it wouldn’t keep happening - Minghao would disappear completely, sucked into his own world and leaving Seokmin alone until their next meeting.

Minghao had described it as “the laws of space and time”. He said there are rules in place that forbid people like him, who can travel through dimensions, from changing the timeline of another world. The easiest way this happens is interactions with the world’s native people, and so touching was strictly forbidden.

Seokmin had jokingly described it as the universe trying to keep them apart. Or, he used to, when they had first met about a year ago. Now he would just describe it as sad.

 

True to his word, Minghao appears before him two days later while Seokmin hauls grocery bags in through the front door. He almost asks Minghao to help him carry them, before he remembers.

He’s about to ask what Minghao has been up to, where he’s been traveling, but when he looks up he finds the other boy standing just a few feet away, tear tracks staining his cheeks, nose red and sniffling.

Seokmin feels his heart drop into his stomach, and he almost drops the grocery bags to rush over to him. Before he remembers.

“What happened?” He asks, preparing for the worst.

“I found a place,” Minghao breathes. “A place we can be together.”

Seokmin stares at him, brain too slow to catch up with what he was saying. When he finally realizes, his heart bounces back up into his throat.

“Really?”

From what Seokmin’s learned, there weren’t any known dimensions that they could physically be together. The laws held Minghao back specifically because of his role as a jumper in the universe, making it impossible for them to touch, in any realm. 

Minghao nods, eyes glassy. Another tear rolls down his cheek, and he doesn’t bother wiping it as he continues. “There’s this place. This guy told me about it, and he showed me how to get there.”

Seokmin feels a buzzing in his veins. He let’s go of the grocery bags haphazardly, hands trembling slightly. “How do we do it?”

Minghao takes a step forward. His outline starts to shake, and Seokmin’s heart seizes up in panic that he’ll leave for a moment before Minghao whispers, “Don’t move, okay?”

Seokmin nods shakily. Minghao takes another step, and another, until he’s closer than Seokmin can remember him ever being. Inches away from him, form fuzzy and see through like a badly projected hologram. Minghao leans closer and closer, until their noses are almost touching, and Seokmin can’t help the way his eyes immediately start welling up because he just knows if he blinks Minghao will be gone and he won’t see him for another aching few days, or weeks even.

But than Minghao presses their lips together. It’s soft at first, just a brush because Minghao himself was barely there, but the other boy shifts his head so it can get deeper, not touching him at all except for his lips. 

Seokmin’s head spins as he realizes what’s happening, and almost like magic, the room tilts off its axis and slides away completely to reveal a cosmic galaxy. It spins and spins around them until Seokmin can’t tell if he’s dizzy from the taste of Minghao’s lips or the way the world around them has seemed to suddenly crash and tumble them into another dimension entirely.

Seokmin blinks, finally, and everything stills. Minghao pulls away, and they both have to take a moment to ground themselves before looking around.

From what Seokmin can tell, everything around them is emptiness. Black surrounds them completely, overwhelming and inescapable. However, directly in front of them, is a simple looking wooden door. A small neon sign above it is the only thing that casts any light over it, and although it clearly says something, Seokmin can’t for the life of him figure out what language it’s written in.

They stand in silence for a long moment, Seokmin studying the sign with a furrowed brow. He almost jumps out of his skin when Minghao suddenly threads their fingers together and pulls his hand against his own chest.

“This is the place,” Minghao murmurs.

Seokmin nods, still a little confused, until he realizes exactly what was happening; Minghao was holding his hand. And he wasn’t disappearing. They were touching.

Seokmin’s heart skips a beat. Hesitantly, he raises his free hand to touch Minghao’s face. It’s soft and warm, and Minghao is still there, solid and real and not going anywhere, instead smiling at Seokmin with an almost giddy look.

Seokmin really can’t help himself. He almost launches himself at Minghao, throwing his arms around his neck so he can pepper kisses anywhere he can reach. Minghao makes a startled noise that slides into a fit of laughter, weakly pushing at Seokmin’s chest to get him off.

“What is this?” Seokmin asks between kisses, reveling in how smooth Minghao’s lips are and how he tastes like something sweet and addictive. “Where are we?”

Minghao holds him back at arm’s length to catch his own breath, still laughing. “It’s a time loop. It’s like a tiny crack between dimensions. It technically isn’t part of a universe, or on a parallel plane to one. It’s just… here.”

“So, that means the rules don’t apply here?”

“Yeah,” Minghao smiles, linking their fingers together and bringing Seokmin’s hand to his mouth so he can brush a kiss against the back of it. “Rules don’t apply.”

Seokmin has to take a moment to catch his breath. His heart is pounding in his chest and feels like it’s bouncing between his throat, making it difficult to speak. Minghao pulls on his hand and leads them to the door, pushing it open easily.

Inside they find what looks like a lounge bar. Or at least, that’s the closest thing Seokmin can compare it to. There’s a bar on the left hand wall, and throughout the large room there are multiple plush, velvet sofas and chairs, little tables between them like he would see in a lounge. The lighting is dim and what sounds like soft jazz music is drifting through the room, although Seokmin can’t locate any musicians or speakers. There’s a few people sitting around, chatting quietly and sipping on drinks, and even more couples curled up together on loveseats, looking at each other with gooey, dripping eyes and soft smiles. Seokmin’s heart skips a beat when Minghao squeezes his hand, a reminder that this was real, and he was touching him. 

“Is this a bar?” Is the first thing that comes out of Seokmin’s mouth when he can find his voice, still peering around in wonder at the mysterious place.

“I guess,” Minghao shrugs, heading towards the bar, towing Seokmin behind him. “My friend Seungcheol told me about it. He described it as ‘a place people can be in love freely’.”   
Seokmin wrinkles his nose. “That’s cheesy.”

“Yeah, I know,” Minghao laughs a little dryly, but his lips quirk up into a small smile. “But, obviously, it sounded perfect when he told me.”

Seokmin feels his cheeks heat up, and he rests his head on Minghao’s shoulder, hiding his face in the crook of the others neck so he won’t see him blush. He can feel Minghao’s heartbeat here, and it’s oddly calming.

Behind the bar, there’s another neon sign that looks to be a quote of something, but again, Seokmin hasn’t a clue what language it’s in. Abruptly, he raises his head and turns to the other boy.

“What language do they speak here?”

“What?”

“You know,” Seokmin nods at the sign. “What language is that?”

Minghao stares at the sign, confused, before he seems to realize something and instead starts to laugh. “Earth is so weird.”

Only slightly offended, Seokmin raises a brow at him, waiting for further context. 

“I think your dimension is the only one that has specific languages, and humans who can only speak one at a time,” Minghao bites the inside of his cheek, looking thoughtful. “It’s more like… everywhere else we just automatically understand each other. No matter what language someone speaks, we just hear it in our own native tongue and vice versa. So there’s never any ‘barriers’ as you might say between people in conversations.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” Minghao gives him an amused look. “How do you think we spoke when we first met?”

Seokmin stares at him, dumbfounded. “What?” 

“Did you think I just knew how to speak Korean when we met? For the first, like, three months we knew each other I was speaking my home language, and you were just hearing it as Korean. Sometimes I still do that if I don’t know a word or phrase.”

Seokmin feels a little dizzy. It must show on his face, because Minghao laughs again, patting him on the back gently. “Don’t overthink it, baby.”

Before he can think of a reply, someone comes sweeping over from behind the bar. He’s tall and handsome, and Seokmin briefly wonders if everyone outside of Earth’s dimension was as handsome as Minghao. So far, from what he’d seen of the people in the lounge and now this man, he seems to be right.

“Hello,” The man says smoothly, flashing them a dazzling smile. “Welcome. First time?”

He glances pointedly at the way Minghao has a tight arm around Seokmin’s waist and they stand close together. Seokmin flushes again, but Minghao doesn’t even look bothered, instead replying, “Yes, it is.”

“Wonderful, we always welcome new guests,” He produces two glasses seemingly out of thin air, and begins pulling multiple bottles of liquor from beneath the bar. “My name is Junhui. I’m a friend of the owner, Mingyu, and I usually run the place while he’s gone. Mingyu likes to meet all the couples who come through, but unfortunately he’s away at the moment, so I suppose you’ll have to settle for me.” Junhui throws his head back and laughs, and it’s so endearing Seokmin finds himself laughing along as well.

He places the now freshly mixed drinks in front of both of them. They’re a glittery pink color that looks unnatural, but Minghao accepts it with a thank you and downs it all in one go, so Seokmin politely takes his as well and sniffs it. It doesn’t smell too bad, and when he takes a tiny sip he’s surprised to find it’s very sweet, similar to honey wine.

Junhui watches them both with a warm smile, looking pleased that they enjoyed his drink. Once Seokmin finishes his drink as well, Junhui asks, “May I ask who referred you here?”

“Seungcheol,” Minghao says, as though that would be enough information for the elder. 

Apparently it is, because Junhui’s grin widens. “Ah, of course. He’s actually upstairs now.”

Minghao laughs. “I don’t know why I’m surprised.”

Junhui takes their glasses and clears the bar top like magic, all of the liquor bottles and glasses disappearing in an instant. “So, a run down of things. Down here is communal space, usually where couples first come when they arrive so they can get a little comfortable, or if they’d like to meet other couples to compare experiences. Upstairs are the rooms - don’t worry about which one is yours, because it’ll appear for you once you hit the top step. When you’d like to leave, just step outside and kiss just like you did to arrive here and you’ll each go back to your respective homes.”

Minghao nods like he knows exactly what Junhui was talking about. Seokmin’s head spins again, overloaded with information and new things that his small Earth mind apparently can’t process.

“How long are we allowed to stay here?” He blurts out, still more than a little confused.

Both men give him an amused look, but it’s Minghao who answers, “This is in a time loop, Minnie. Time doesn’t exist here. We can stay as long as we want.”

“But I have work,” Seokmin feels the need to protest, although it dies on his tongue on the last word and sounds weak even to his own ears.

Junhui laughs. “Like he said, time doesn’t exist here. No matter how long you spend here, no time will have passed when you return home.”

Seokmin must have a suspicious look on his face, because Minghao laughs too, looping his arm through Seokmin’s. “There’s no catch. We can be together here.”

Subconsciously, Seokmin leans his head slightly to rest it on Minghao’s shoulder, still staring at Junhui with a look of half confusion, half wonder. Junhui smiles at them, eyes warm, and produces two new drinks out of thin air for them, this time a sparkling, sunny yellow that seemed to glow from within the glass. 

“You two are cute together,” He says in a gentle voice. “Enjoy your stay.”

 

When Seokmin wakes up the next morning - although, he’s not sure Earth’s time system counts here, because when he looks out the window of their room all he sees is empty blackness, stars twinkling and dotting as far as he can see- he almost forgets where he is. He feels considerably warmer than usual, almost engulfed in it, and like something heavy is weighing him down.

He suddenly remembers exactly what happened, and he snaps his eyes open to find Minghao just a few inches away, still sleeping peacefully. Seokmin is wrapped up in the other boy’s arms like a teddy bear, one of his legs thrown haphazardly over Seokmin’s hip. 

He looks so untroubled, so gentle in his sleep, and Seokmin’s heart is suddenly twisting up with an overwhelming rush of affection. It hits him so hard it knocks the breath out of him, and he has to take a second to take a deep breath, reach out and slowly touch Minghao’s cheek to make sure it wasn’t a dream and he could really touch him. 

Minghao’s eyelids flutter at the touch, mouth curling into an adorable pout, and after a few seconds he blinks his eyes open. He looks just as confused as Seokmin had moments ago, almost as though he doesn’t recognize where he is. But then Seokmin can see it click in the other boy’s mind, and he uses his grip on Seokmin’s shirt to yank him forward and kiss him.

Seokmin can’t help the laugh that bubbles up in his chest and slips through his lips. Minghao grumbles something against them that sounds like “ _ Stop, I’m trying to kiss you _ ”, but it just makes Seokmin laugh harder.

Minghao pulls away with a pout, but doesn’t let go of his shirt, keeping Seokmin as close as possible. He reaches out and cups Seokmin’s face in one hand, very gently rubbing his thumb along the other’s cheekbone.

“I love you,” Seokmin whispers, still grinning stupidly. It comes out sounding a little warped, his mind too distracted by Minghao’s close presence and the feel of his fingers on his cheek. “I love you so much.”

Minghao’s lips quirk into a smile, and his eyes soften considerably. “I love you, too.”

Seokmin reaches out to touch Minghao’s cheek as well, both of them just lying there, running their fingers along each other’s face in a silent confirmation that this was real. “I wanna stay here forever.”

Minghao leans in to kiss him again, soft and warm and slow. Seokmin gets lost in it, head spinning in the most delightful way and chest tightening up with an overwhelming flood of adoration. 

“Forever works for me,” Minghao finally mumbles against his lips, smiling.

 

Minghao disappears for what feels like only moments to return to his own world and settle something involving his work. Since he jumps from dimensions for a living, it’s only natural that he needs to notify  _ someone  _ he won’t be available for awhile. His dimensions time runs differently from earth, and differently from this time loop as well. Seokmin doesn’t understand the logistics of it, just nods as Minghao presses kisses all over his face in goodbye with promises he’ll be back as soon as possible.

Surprisingly, Seokmin doesn’t feel as empty as he usually does when Minghao is gone. Maybe it’s because now he knows they can be together, in this perfect little place between universes, and he doesn’t need to worry about when Minghao will be back or if he’ll ever see him again. There’s something settling in his chest, a sort of domestic comfort that comes from a stable relationship (he’s only had so few in his lifetime, but he knows the feeling when he gets it), and it makes him feel lighter than air as he heads down from their room to explore some more before Minghao returns.

He’s barely stepped foot into that same lounge/bar area from the night before (although, now it looks a little brighter than he remembers it- they might not follow earth time but whatever time it is was was similar to morning bc it seemed like there was a touch of light illuminating the room) when he hears someone call his name.

When he turns, he’s not sure who said it (there’s only three or four couples down here), but then a man sitting on one of the sofa’s waves, calling out, “Seokmin!” again.

Seokmin has absolutely no idea who this man is. He approaches him anyway, figuring he must know Minghao, and if he didn’t, he might as well ask how he did know his name.

The man is tall and handsome, with a chiseled jaw and warm face. His hair is pushed back messily, and as Seokmin rounds the sofa to greet him, he notices another, significantly smaller man asleep on the couch, head resting in the first man’s lap.

“You  _ are _ Seokmin, right?” The man asks. Seokmin nods, looking up from the sleeping man to meet the first man’s eyes. “I’m Seungcheol.”

Seokmin vaguely remembers Minghao mentioning his friend Seungcheol who had told him about this place, and he nods again. “Oh, it’s nice to meet you.”

Seungcheol smiles at him, gesturing at the armchair opposite the sofa. “Sit down! Minghao’s told me so much about you. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

Seokmin snorts, sitting down in the armchair. Seungcheol threads his fingers lovingly in the smaller man’s hair in his lap, a movement Seokmin notices but doesn’t comment on. “I’m not sure I want to know what he’s said.”

“All good things,” Seungcheol says, winking. “He used to go on and on about you. He’s head over heels for you.”

A little embarrassed, Seokmin ducks his head, face heating up. “Thanks,” He mumbles, although he’s not sure why he’s thanking him. A second later, he lifts his head, realizing he does have something to thank the elder about. “Thanks for telling Minghao about this place.”

Seungcheol’s expression softens. “Of course. I only just found out about it a little while ago myself,” He looks down fondly at the man in his lap, and Seokmin can practically see the hearts in his eyes. “I knew I had to tell you two about it.”

“Is this your, um,” Seokmin gestures at the smaller man, unsure what word he should use. Was Earth the only dimension that used genders? He didn’t want to say boyfriend for fear of looking stupid.

“This is Jihoon,” Seungcheol says solemnly. “He’s my star soul.”

“Star soul?”

“Oh, sorry, it’s like,” Seungcheol pauses, pursing his lips. “What was it that Minghao said Earth people call them? Starmate?”

“Soulmates?” Seokmin prompts, and Seungcheol snaps, pointing at him.

“Yes, soulmates. Where I’m from, we call them star souls,” Seungcheol pushes the hair out of Jihoon’s face, glancing down affectionately at him. “When stars die, they fall apart into different souls. But stars are meant to be together, and so those souls always find each other eventually.”

Seokmin’s heart skips a beat. “That’s really beautiful.”

“Isn’t it?” Seungcheol looks up at him with dreamy eyes. “Occasionally, the star crumbles into many different souls, though, so it’s more difficult for them to be together. Especially if there’s more than two souls.”

“How do you know when someone is your soulma- star soul?”

Seungcheol gives him a look Seokmin can’t decipher. “You just know.”

In his lap, Jihoon suddenly jerks awake, gasping. Seokmin almost jumps out of his seat, but Seungcheol doesn’t look the least bit bothered, immediately reaching out to pull Jihoon into his lap fully.

Jihoon stares at Seokmin with a confused look, brow furrowed, still gasping. Seungcheol gently tilts Jihoon’s face towards him, pushing his hair back softly. Seokmin’s heart tightens just watching them.

Jihoon reaches out to touch Seungcheol as well, and Seokmin can hear the tears in his eyes in the way his voice cracks when he says, “I had that dream again.”

Seungcheol tsks and gently tucks Jihoon’s hair behind his ears, voice soft as he replies, “It’s okay, everything’s okay. I’m here.”

Jihoon whole frame shakes as he tries to regulate his breathing, wrapping his arms around Seungcheol’s neck and pushing his face into the elder’s shoulder. Seungcheol holds him against him with a hand on the back of his head, rubbing his back with his other and pressing kisses to the top of Jihoon’s head.

Seokmin excuses himself silently, feeling like he was intruding on an incredibly private moment. He knows this place was supposed to be for couples who couldn’t be together, so there were obviously going to be ones that were extremely open with their intimacy, but that felt like too much. Seokmin almost feels the need to ask everyone in the room, including himself, to return to their respective rooms so Seungcheol and Jihoon could be alone together.

Instead he heads over to the bar, taking a seat on one of the stools and staring up at the neon sign. He still can’t decipher it, but the more he stares, the more he doesn’t really mind. It’s pretty, in a way, and he can appreciate it aesthetically without needing to know what it says. 

There’s the distinct clinking of glass together, and Seokmin peers over the bar only to find someone bent over, back facing him as they dig through a lower cabinet behind the counter. It’s definitely not Junhui, but another man, with a silvery hair and broad shoulders.

Seokmin clears his throat, not wanting to startle him. “Hello.”

The man jerks in surprise anyway, almost stumbling as he raises to his feet and turns around, glass in hand. He’s extremely handsome, with sharp eyes and tan skin, and definitely a few inches taller than both Seokmin and Minghao. 

But when he turns around fully and faces Seokmin, and their eyes lock, something happens. 

Seokmin doesn’t know how to describe it. If he were to ask his future self, he’d probably describe it as the big bang. An existential revelation. A universal recognition of his own shared consciousness.

Seokmin can’t describe it, or put a name to it, but he knows what it feels like. Like his whole body is suddenly full of sparks, fireworks lighting up inside of him. Like everything in his vision except this man turns to white, tunneling in on him and making Seokmin feel like he’s floating and the only thing grounding him is this man. Like his fingertips and toes are tingling, like his ribs are opening and his heart is leaping out of his chest. Butterflies in his stomach, breath knocked right out of him, white noise rushing in his ears, brain short circuiting to nothingness for a split second. 

It’s over as soon as it started, and Seokmin is left shaking. His fingers are still tingling, and his chest feels tight, overwhelmed, like this morning when Minghao had kissed him and said they’d stay here forever.

It’s clear from the expression on the man’s face that he had just experienced the exact same reaction. Seokmin can see he’s openly trembling, and he places the glass down with shaky fingers, gripping the bar top tightly.

“What-” Seokmin begins to say, the exact same time the man whispers, “ _ Star soul _ .”

Seokmin’s heart jumps in his throat, and he whips around to look over at Seungcheol, still seated on the sofa and cradling a now sleeping Jihoon in his arms. He looks back at the man, eyes wide.  _ But stars are meant to be together, and so those souls always find each other eventually _ , Seungcheol’s voice echoes in his head. 

“I’m Mingyu,” The man says finally, holding out his hand gingerly. The name Mingyu sounds vaguely familiar, and Seokmin remembers Junhui telling them last night Mingyu was the owner of this place. 

He stares at Mingyu’s hand for a moment before accepting it just as apprehensively. Like magic, the tingles in his fingers spark to full blown fireworks the minute their fingers touch, and they both pull back with a gasp like they were burned. 

Seokmin’s eyes sting with tears, and he’s not even sure why. Mingyu is staring at him with a concerned expression, hands twitching on the bartop like he wants to reach out and touch Seokmin.

“What does this mean?” Seokmin finally gets out, voice cracking in the most embarrassing way. “What do we do now?”

Mingyu’s mouth twists, and he eyes a door behind the bar anxiously. “I can leave, if you’d like.”

“No!” Seokmin almost shouts, lurching forward to grab Mingyu by the wrist. The tingles start up again, but this time he doesn’t let go. He doesn’t know why, but the mere thought of Mingyu leaving makes him overly anxious and desperate. Like he got whenever Minghao would leave back on Earth.

Mingyu stares down at Seokmin’s hand on him, eyes unreadable. “Okay,” He whispers eventually.

Seokmin still doesn’t let go. The tingles are dying down to a warm, comfortable burn under his skin, similar to the feeling he would get when Minghao would appear for the first time in a few days. He doesn’t understand. He’s having the same emotional and physical reactions he usually has with Minghao, but with Mingyu, who he’s just met.

He suddenly understands why Seungcheol treated Jihoon so gently, so lovingly, why their interaction seemed so intimate. His heart aches abruptly for Minghao, but at the same time aches unpleasantly at the idea of Mingyu leaving.

“Can we,” Seokmin swallows over the lump in his throat, tears burning his cheeks as they run down. “Can we go sit down and talk?”

Mingyu nods. Seokmin is just starting to wonder how the other man can come around from behind the bar without Seokmin having to let go of him, when suddenly he blinks and they’re sitting on a couch together, thighs touching, Seokmin still holding Mingyu’s wrist.

He must look surprised, because Mingyu smiles for the first time. “That was me. I moved us.”

Seokmin definitely has questions, but he can’t focus on them when Mingyu’s smiling. His heart skips a beat, and without thinking he reaches out and touches Mingyu’s cheek gently.

Mingyu exhales shakily, squeezing his eyes shut. Seokmin feels guilt tug at his heartstrings, thinking of Minghao who was going to return any second. 

“I’m here with someone,” Seokmin mumbles, fresh tears welling up and spilling over.

Mingyu opens his eyes, and Seokmin’s own sadness is reflected there. “I know.”

“I love him. So much.”

“I know. I love someone, too.”

Seokmin pulls his hands back to wipe at his own cheeks, sniffling. Mingyu lays a hand on his thigh, and for some reason, it makes him feel infinitely better, just that simple touch. “Are they here? Should I meet them?”

Mingyu’s eyes harden a little, and he shakes his head. “They’re not here. I haven’t seen them in a long, long time.”

Seokmin frowns, still rubbing at his eyes. He wants to press further, but the front door opening sounds through the room then, and he whips around to see Minghao stepping over the threshold.

“Minghao,” Seokmin gasps out, heart suddenly aching for the other to kiss him. Minghao smiles at him, but it disappears when he notices Seokmin’s red eyes and tear stained cheeks. He’s in front of him in three long strides, dropping to his knees and reaching out to wipe Seokmin’s tears with his thumbs.

“What happened?” He asks, voice laced with worry. Seokmin feels that same guilt run through his veins, and the crying starts up again, gasping through a sob. Minghao tries to dip his head and meet Seokmin’s gaze, concern evident. “Minnie, what’s wrong?”

“This-” Seokmin stutters over the single word, trying to get it out through sobs. “This-this is Min-mingyu.”

Minghao turns to look at Mingyu, confused. When Seokmin looks at him, too, Mingyu looks like he’s about to pass out, staring at Minghao with a half terrified look.

He says something then that Seokmin can’t decipher. Seokmin assumes it’s a word in a language he doesn’t know, and it must be mistranslated in whatever interpretation magic Minghao had told him about last night because all Seokmin hears is a jumble of vowels strung together. 

Mingyu clears his throat, trying again, and this time instead breathing out, “Minghao.”

“Do I know you?” Minghao asks, looking wary.

Mingyu’s eyes turn glassy, filling with tears just like Seokmin’s. He’s trembling again, Seokmin can feel it on the hand that’s still gripping his thigh. “You don’t remember me?”

Minghao frowns, shaking his head. “Have we met before?”

Mingyu nods. Minghao looks back at Seokmin for an explanation, but at this point Seokmin is just as confused as he is.

“I built this place for you,” Mingyu says. He slides off the couch, to his knees beside Minghao, hands in his lap. Tears drip from his eyes, but his gaze is unwavering, staring at Minghao with such open devotion Seokmin almost feels jealous. “I was banished here, and I couldn’t contact you, so I built this place. I figured one day you’d come back to me. Fuck, it’s been so long, Minghao.”

“Hey,” Minghao begins, looking a bit uncomfortable. He releases Seokmin’s face and gently reaches out towards Mingyu. “Come on now, I don’t-”

Minghao touches Mingyu’s shoulder, just a small brush, and suddenly jerks back like he’s been burned. He falls back onto his ankles, staring at Mingyu with a look of wonder, eyes vacant as though he weren’t all there. Mingyu searches his face, looking hopeful, and a moment later Minghao lets out a gasp, jerking forward again as though he was brought back to reality.

“You-” Minghao’s throat works to swallow, his eyes tearing up, too. “You- I remember-”

Mingyu lip wobbles, and his eyes light up with happiness. “You remember?”

Minghao nods shakily. He reaches out slowly, fingers just barely wiping at one of the tears streaking Mingyu’s cheek. “I waited for you.”

Mingyu looks utterly devastated at these words, and he leans forward to pull Minghao against his chest in a bone crushing hug. “I know, I couldn’t come back. I was banished here. I couldn’t leave.”

“I waited for you,” Minghao repeats, voice a little more strangled this time. “I waited so long for you.”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Mingyu chokes out. “I missed you so much, I tried so hard to come back.”

Seokmin shifts uncomfortably on the couch, still as confused as before and feeling more than a little left out. Both men must notice because they both turn instantly, eyes softening when they land on Seokmin.

“Minnie,” Minghao whispers. “Come here.”

Mingyu smiles at him as well, and Seokmin doesn't need anymore invitation. He scrambles to kneel on the floor with them, letting Minghao wrap and arm around him and pull him close to his side. Mingyu still has an arm around Minghao, and Seokmin reaches out to pull at Mingyu’s shirt, an indication he wants to be touched, too. Mingyu laughs and reaches out to smooth down Seokmin’s hair, still sniffling through the last of his tears.

Minghao raises a brow at the interaction. “So, you’ve met?”

Seokmin looks sheepishly down at his hands, and Mingyu nods. “Star souls,” Is all he says, but Minghao nods like that’s all the explanation he needs.

“Ah,” Minghao looks between them, and the fondness in his eyes overwhelms Seokmin to the point he feels like he can’t breathe. “Well, that’s convenient.”

Mingyu grins. Seokmin looks between them uncertainly. “Are you two-?” He begins, unsure how to phrase the question.  _ Star souls  _ felt like a forbidden word, too intimate and meaningful. He didn’t feel like he had the right to say it.

“You could say that,” Minghao murmurs. He turns his gaze on Mingyu, face gentle. “Long lost star souls.”

Mingyu smiles, still carding his fingers through Seokmin’s hair. “We were together, once. A long, long time ago. But we got in trouble. I was banished here, and laws were put in place that people from different worlds couldn’t be together.”

“Ah, so it’s  _ your  _ fault,” Seokmin says lightly. Both of them laugh, and the sound makes Seokmin’s heart feel like light and full. 

Mingyu shrugs. “I guess. I was sent into this time loop, and I built this place hoping Minghao would find it one day. It became a haven of sorts for people who couldn’t be together outside of it. I had almost given up thinking he would come back,” He glances at Minghao, and the other boy looks almost sad and wistful.

“How long have you been here?” Seokmin asks.

“I don’t know, I lost count,” Mingyu admits. “I think in Earth years it’s somewhere near two thousand years?”

Seokmin almost chokes on his own spit. “Two thousand _ years?”  _

Mingyu nods solemnly. Seokmin presses closer to Minghao subconsciously, the thought of waiting two thousand years to be together almost paralyzing. But then he thinks of something, and he pulls away to turn to Minghao.

“Are you two thousand years old?” He demands incredulously. Minghao snorts.

“Don’t be dumb,” He says, flicking Seokmin on the back of the head. “We were together in a previous life. This is a time loop so Mingyu just never aged.”

Mingyu flashes them both a charming smile. “I’m immortal, baby.”

Minghao gives him a pointed look. “Shut up.”

At that moment, Junhui passes by them, coming to a halt when he spots the three of them huddled on the floor in each other's arms.

“Uh,” He begins, raising a brow at their red eyes and tear stained faces.  “You guys good?”

Mingyu snorts, wiping at his nose and getting to his feet. “Yeah, we’re good.”

“I didn’t know you were back,” Junhui comments, patting Mingyu on the back.

“Yeah, it didn’t take as long as I thought,” Mingyu is still staring down at Minghao with soft, loving eyes despite speaking to Junhui.

Junhui follows his gaze, still looking a little confused. “Minghao?”

“Does everyone here know me?” Minghao asks, shooting a playful glare at Mingyu. 

Junhui smiles at him. “Nah, just me. Mingyu never shuts the hell up about you,” He adjusts the buttons on his coat, turning on his heel to continue walking away. “Thanks for finally showing up,” He calls over his shoulder. “It was getting real depressing around here.”

Mingyu turns a bright pink color, stuttering. Minghao just laughs, and Seokmin rests his head on the other boy’s shoulder. His heart feels light and open, bursting at the seams with adoration and tenderness, and he can’t help the stupid grin that breaks out on his face. 

Even if just for a moment, everything was perfect, in this little time loop of their own personal heaven. 

**Author's Note:**

> this is most definitely the gayest thing i have ever written.


End file.
